REPORT OF CGRFA-EX3

The Third Extraordinary Session of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and
Agriculture (CGRFA-EX3) was officially opened by Commission Chair Jos� M. Bolivar
(Spain) who noted the spirit of compromise that prevailed during the meeting of the
Working Group that preceded CGRFA-EX3. He expressed hope that the Commission
would take significant steps toward achieving the objectives, which are in the genuine
interest of the international community. Mr. Abdoulaye Sawadogo, Assistant Director-
General of the FAOs Agriculture Department, delivered an opening statement on behalf
of the FAO Director-General.Welcoming new members to the Commission and
observers from other UN organizations, IGOs and NGOs, he stated that the major task in
1997 would be to follow up Leipzig, particularly in terms of financing, implementing and
monitoring the GPA as well as making progress on the revision of the IU. Delegates
observed a minute of silence in memory of Mr. John Suich, who had led the UK
delegation in previous meetings of the Commission.

ORGANIZATIONAL MATTERS: Delegates adopted the provisional agenda
and timetable (document CGRFA-EX3/96/1 and 2), containing the following items:
continuation of negotiations for the revision of the IU; report of the Eleventh Session of
the Working Group; continuation of negotiations; and other business, including follow-up
to ITCPGR-4.

In addition to Jos� Bolivar, who was elected Chair of the Commission at its sixth session
in June 1995, the Commission elected Mr. Moorosi Raditapole (Lesotho) and Ms.
Kristiane Herrmann (Australia) as first and second Vice-Chairs, respectively, and Mr.
Fernando Jos� Marroni de Abreu (Brazil) as Rapporteur.

The Commission then addressed the Report of the Working Group before opening the
floor to formal statements in plenary, which continued for the rest of the day on Monday.
The meeting then established two open-ended working groups. The Working Group on
Farmers Rights, chaired by Mr. R. S. Paroda (India), held four sessions on Tuesday and
Wednesday before reporting back to plenary on Thursday. The Working Group on Scope
and Access held two sessions on Tuesday, at the end of which the Chair, Mr. Jos� Miguel
Bolivar, established a Friends of the Chair Contact Group (FOC). This group met under
the chairmanship of Dr. Bryan Harvey (Canada) for three sessions on Wednesday before
reporting back to plenary on Thursday. On the basis on these plenary interventions, the
meeting decided to reconvene an expanded FOC (on the basis of regional
representation, also drawing on the original participants to ensure continuity) in parallel
to plenary. This expanded Friends of the Chair Contact Group met for one session on
Friday morning. Chair Harvey then presented the results of this second round of
discussions in plenary on Friday afternoon.